This invention relates to a process for reactivating a coked, agglomerated iridium-containing catalyst involving the sequential steps of low temperature decoking to minimize agglomeration, reducing agglomerated iridium oxides on the catalyst surface to the free metal, pretreating the catalyst surface with a halide-providing compound, preferably hydrogen halide, in the absence of elemental oxygen, and redispersing the iridium metal by contacting with a mixture containing elemental halogen and water at elevated temperature.